Dirt-box dirt shrinkage help

[Frosty]

2 hours ago, WoodFireMetal said:

Wouldn’t physically blocking the airflow from the hair dryer put more pressure on the motor? 

It's counter intuitive but no, blocking an impeller fan in an air blower reduces work on the motor. Try blocking the outlet of your blow drier, the motor speeds up, without moving air it doesn't have to work as hard.

The thing you have to watch out for blocking blower intakes is where the motor gets it's cooling air. If it's cooled by the blower you have to let it get enough air. 

Frosty The Lucky.

[Glenn]

Ash build up acts as an insulation until it interferes with the fire.

You do not physically block the airflow from the hair dryer, in fact the air flow is simply redirected. You have a 3-4 inch gap between the hair dryer and the air pipe going to the forge. Aim more directly at the air pipe for more air to the fire, less directly toward the air pipe, and spill some air, for less air to the fire. 

[pnut]

22 hours ago, WoodFireMetal said:

That is my intention. I couldn’t add a shelf until I knew how far down the pipe would go.  

Great minds think alike!    That should do it as far as I know. Maintenance is the only thing you'll have to do until you decide to build another. I'm thinking about taking the dive into the world of propane forges but haven't made up my mind yet. I sure do like solid fuel. Your forge looks great keep us posted and remember it's supposed to be fun.

Pnut

[Glenn]

On 6/25/2019 at 9:07 AM, WoodFireMetal said:

The anvil height seemed to be really comfortable with that amount of blocks (I’m short), so that height was where I was intending to cut a stump.

Put a piece of wood (sheeting) on the anvil face and hit it with a hammer to actually see where the hammer is working. Crescent at 12 o'clock and the anvil is too high, crescent at 6 o'clock and the anvil is too low. Adjust as needed to get full circles.

[WoodFireMetal]

3 hours ago, Glenn said:

Put a piece of wood (sheeting) on the anvil face and hit it with a hammer to actually see where the hammer is working. Crescent at 12 o'clock and the anvil is too high, crescent at 6 o'clock and the anvil is too low. Adjust as needed to get full circles.

That’s brilliant. I do find every once in awhile that my 90* stock-flipping strikes leave not so 90* tapers, so the anvil at the museum needs to be adjusted.  

Thanks, all, for the help. Hopefully I have time this weekend to make all adjustments and stump sizing. 

[Glenn]

Make and use the new anvil height for a while before you cut the stump. 

If you share an anvil and the anvil needs lowered for your proper anvil height, then build a platform of the proper height to stand on. Just be careful of the platform becoming a trip hazard as you use the anvil. A larger platform and properly placed as you natural approach the anvil should eliminate a lot of the trip hazard problem. At the end of the day, simply put your platform out of the way and up against the wall.  

A trick to keeping things straight is put the hammer over the sweet spot on the anvil with the hammer handle perpendicular to the face. Take a half step or so to the off hand side of the hammer handle.  With your hand handing naturally at your side, walk up to the anvil and the hammer handle should slide into your hand. This puts the hammer, wrist, elbow, and shoulder all in the same plane. The hammer hits the sweet spot of the anvil every time and any adjustment is made with the tong hand. There is no twisting of the body and no stress to the body from twisting.

As long as we are talking, the power stroke for the hammer should start with the fingernails of your hammer hand touching the top of your ear. Swing the hammer down with the intent of driving the hammer head below the anvil face and into the anvil by a couple of inches. That is your power stroke. When lighter strokes are needed, adjust as required but always remembering to drive the hammer head below the anvil face and into the anvil.  Tap, tap, tap does not move metal.

Pushing the hammer head into the metal is hard on the body. Swing the hammer and release your grip on the hammer handle just before impact so the hammer head does the work.

Practice one technique at a time until you get the feel of things. Practice until it becomes natural.  Then move on and add another technique and practice until that becomes natural.

 

Anvil height, how can you tell if it is the right height